The countries wanting to host the UEFA Women's Euro 2029 tournament
Today is the deadline for nations to show interest in bidding for the next European Championships. These are four of the bids that have been put in to host the 2029 tournament.
While we might be less than a year away from the next European Championships in Switzerland, attention is switching to who will host the 2029 edition of the competition.
Today is the deadline for UEFA association members to put forward their interest in hosting the tournament.
We have seen four bids announced they are solo bids each from Portugal, Germany and Poland, while there has also been a joint bid from Sweden & Denmark to host the 2029 tournament.
The tournament is to be the fourth edition of an increased size of 16 teams and will be the 14th Women’s European Championships to have ever taken place.
The bidding countries
Portugal
They submitted their bid to host the European championships on the 4th September after a general meeting of the Portuguese federation. Portugal’s first qualification for a Women’s Euros tournament was back in 2017, where they won one game and then also at the 2022 edition of the Euros where they failed to win any of their group games. For a spot at the 2025 Euros, they are set to face Azerbaijan in the play-offs next month.
If they are successful with their bid it will be the second major women’s football event that they will host as this season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League final is being held at the Estádio José Alvalade, the home of Sporting CP, a stadium which would likely be used to host matches in 2029.
It would also be the second major European Championships held in the country as the Euro 2004 men’s edition was also held in Portugal. As of now the stadiums planned to be used in 2029 have not been announced but they could use all of the stadiums used at that Euro 2004 tournament as they are still in use today.
Germany
They submitted their bid to host the European Championships on the 20th September after a meeting at the DFB Presidium. Germany are the most successful side in European Championship history with eight Euros trophies to their name and last won in 2013. They were also losing finalists at the last European Championships, so it’s an obvious sign of the longevity of the women’s game in Germany.
They do have previous history in hosting this tournament as they did so back in 2001 when it was an eight-team tournament, which they won. Germany hosted the men’s edition of the Euros very recently where it was hosted across ten cities.
Germany has a lot of upcoming UEFA finals that they are scheduled to hold between now and 2029 including this season’s UEFA Champions League Final in Munich. Picking them as hosts would be the obvious choice given how successful they’ve been and also the fact they are hosting a lot of UEFA football in the near future. UEFA will know of the capabilities that they would have in being able to host such a tournament.
Poland
Poland were one of the nations trying to host the Euros in 2025, however after UEFA appointed Switzerland as hosts they turned their attention to hosting in 2029. In July the Polish Federation president Cezary Kulesza confirmed the country’s intention to host the tournament.
As of September 2024, Poland are yet to have ever qualified for any major women’s football tournament, but still has a chance of qualifying for EURO 2025 as they face off against Romania in the play-offs next month.
Poland are set to host this season’s men’s Conference League final in Wrocław and the country also hosted the 2024 UEFA Super Cup recently in Warsaw.
Sweden and Denmark
The two nations previously tried to host EURO 2025 alongside Finland and Norway however it turned out to be a failed bid with Switzerland ending up victorious. The two nations then decided to do a joint-bid on the tournament after learning it wouldn’t be possible for four nations to host a tournament and they’d be more successful with a joint-bid.
Norway was reportedly disappointed with the joint-bid and wanted to renegotiate but failed in any attempts. On 24th September, the joint Sweden & Denmark bid to host EURO 2029 was announced.
Both nations have separately hosted a Women’s Euros before with Denmark doing so in 1991 and Sweden being hosts twice, firstly in 1997 with Norway and in 2013 on their own.
Denmark’s previous best finish at the tournament was runners-up in 2017, where they lost to hosts Netherlands. Sweden on the other hand, have been winners and won the inaugural Euros in 1984 back when it was only four teams competing.
What happens next?
1 October 2024 – Bid requirements published to all interested bidders
12 March 2025 – Submission of the Preliminary Bid Dossier
28 August 2025 – Submission of the final Bid Dossier
December 2025 – Appointment of host(s) of UEFA Women’s EURO 2029